Magnolia Pearl give-away!!

Yes you read right! My next give-away is a pair of Authentic Magnolia Pearl Bloomers!!! They are brand new, never worn from MP's vintage collection! I bought them and they got lost in the black hole of my closet! So, I decided that I should share my newfound bloomers with you!  What's the occassion? To celebrate spring and Robin's new collection making it's debue at Marburger Farm in March 23- April 2nd. I plan on asking either Robin or John Gray of Magnolia Pearl to pick a name out of a hat on April 1st! I will be recouperating from the Junk Gypsy Prom but I will promptly come home and reveal the winner! These bloomers are a violet gray brocade design that are to die for! They will go with a simple t-shirt or an elegant silk blouse, perfect for any occasion, and they can be yours! Just leave me a comment and then if you would like, link onto Magnolia Pearl's website pearl@magnolia.com or blog and just browse through a magical place of beautiful things. Thank you all for stopping by, good luck! 

P.S. Please grab this button and post it on your site to spread the word! Many, many thanks!

Mother-Daughter Adventures in Abilene

I just spent the weekend with my mom, doing the usual mother-daughter things like ....... going to a "FUR-BALL"! The Abilene Rescue the Animals organization puts on this fund raising ball every year to raise money for their shelter. This year it was a pirate theme where owners and dogs dressed up! They have small dog dance competition, a large dog dance competition, costume awards, and of coarse  a doggie buffet. Everyone got  into the theme, if you were not dressed up you were the minority! Hopefully in days to come I can download some photos for you of all the dogs! It was so fun!

While there with my mom we came across many old photos of the two of us so I thought on occasion I would post our adventures with an old photo. I think I was three and I was such a spaz, I kept falling out of the wagon so my dad built sides on it for me! Some things never change! I believe this was taken in Hawaii and my mother was about 24? Thanks for letting me share.

My Valentine's Day Love Story

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OK So this really isn't Joey and I but I've been told this does look like me and the groom looks so British in that cutaway coat, and the bride with the wreath of flowers in her hair, I'm thinking 1960s? I love it! And, love my husband, always have, always will. 

I wish I had a wildly romantic story about the two of us but the truth of it was when we met we had both sworn off EVER being married again! We were both going through a divorce  and thought we would live our  lives alone, and love every minute of it. I had this vision of buying an old house and filling it full of antiques, cats and a small english flower garden. Anything that did not involve a man. And then we met. 

It's funny how the scope of your life can change in an instant. We dated for two years filled with oodles of huge flower arrangements, presents, and being wooed like I had never been wooed before. It worked. We've been married now for almost 19 years. I always hated it when people make sappy statements like when something bad happens it "brought them closer than ever." Well I am now living those words. 

After becoming "health-challenged", things just changed. Slowly at first, but in time we found our place in a life filled with more patience, kindness, and love. Happy Valentines Day to you and your love. May it be all you wish.

Parkinson's Quilt Square

This is the 2ft x 2ft quilt square that I sent in to the Parkinson's Foundation to be apart of a huge quilt that will travel the globe spreading the word about the disease and the hopes for a cure. This is of coarse a cause close to me having being diagnosed 4 years ago. I wrote the poem in the bottom corner. If you'd like to see the quilt in it's entirety you can find them on Facebook under the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. Thanks for letting me share. :)
Are you shocked it's a mini wedding dress, of coarse!

"Bound by movement and lack of grace, sometimes they're days you don't want to face.
But through the weavings of ribbon and lace, I've found the peace to slow my pace.
A marriage of hope and patience of mind, time to reflect but hard to unwind.
So I create this piece with seams I did bind, in hopes of a cure in plenty of time."

If you don't like the weather in Texas...

The saying goes,

if you don't like the weather in Texas,

Wait 5 minutes and it'll change!!

Actually it took only 2 days to go from 73 degrees to 18 degrees and three inches of snow and ice!

Thank you Paula of Tattered Gold  for including me in your list for the Stylish Blog Award! Paula asked those of us who were included on her list to make our own list and then tell us 8 things that our friends in blog land might not know about us.
OK 8 things you might not know, hummmmmm, ok here goes.

1. OK, a funny one first. I hate veggies. I'll eat a salad, baked potato, corn, black eyed pea, all the bad for you veggies but, brussel sprouts and broccoli, forget it. 
2. Well seeing number one this should not surprise you. I am a sweet addicted fool! I could eat sweets from dawn till dark. The other day I went to lunch with some friends and actually ordered dessert as my meal, I swear! They all looked at me like I was crazy!
3. I, like my friend Paula, have a deathly fear of water. I tried taking swimming lessons as a child and I never "caught on." I think this shocks people more than anything else I could tell you about myself. That being said, I could live by the ocean and hear the serf, walk the beach and smell the sea air for the rest of my life. 
4. I have always had animals in my life, always. Even in college I couldn't have a cat so I had a hamster! I could easily the the crazy cat lady with a big house and a little land to rescue as many cats as I wanted. But, right now I'm down to one old tom cat who appeared on my doorstep, hungry and close to dying. We have taken him in and love him dearly, his name is Moses.
5. I'm an inside girl. I don't like to play sports, hike, bike or an other form of exercise! And OMG  the worst...camp out ! EEK! Mr smarty pants  husband, says my idea of camping is a hotel with no room service. 
6. I adore anything to do with old weddings. Dresses, photos, cake toppers,and wedding lace. I look at the old wedding dresses or photos and wonder, what was this bride thinking as she stood at the back of the church. Is she thinking oh egads I do hate his mother, or is she thinking this is the love of my life I'm about to marry.
7. I love Vampire and Werewolf movies and books. I have read all the First Blood series years ago, all the Twilight, and yes, I'm an Edward fan. I think I have seen every movie ever made about both!!
8. Last one, lets see. Oh I am a horrible, horrible speller!! I blame it on those years in public school when they were trying out the "pod system" where you were in a huge room that held 4 classrooms. Ring any bells to the teachers out there. I'm glad they don't do that anymore! The End! Whew! 

Here is my list of recent favorites, this was hard because there are so many that I adore. Oh remember if you're on the list, tell us 8 things about you and give us your list!!

mydesertcottage.blogspot.com
myheartsease.blogspot.com
vintagesusieandwings.blogspot.com
whathappensnext.typepad.com
tarnishedandtattered.blogspot.com
the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com
smndesigns.blogspot.com
countingyourblessings.blogspot.com
katiesrosecottage.blogspot.com
tatteredgold.blogspot.com

How to Tea Stain a Wedding Dress

Five dollars for this set of sleeves! I was a crazy woman at the estate sale where I found these! I swooped them all up and put them in my bag. I brought my own bags, ready to get ahold of as much as possible!

I'm always so amazed how much stores charge for one yard of bridal lace! Then I usually take it home and tea stain it. SO it got me thinking, what if I buy a cheap wedding dress at a thrift store and tea stain the whole thing. So I hit the thrift stores and Goodwill and came home with two dresses. Both for under $30. 

Supplies:

1. Thrift store wedding dress
2. Three boxes of family size tea bags
3. A very large kettle or large pots to boil the tea in
4. Salt, uniodized (it's cheaper
5. White Vinegar
6. Old sheet
7.Safty pins
8. GLOVES
9. Pair of long tongs, bbq ones work great, clean of coarse
10. A day where you have time to complete this process without stress, kids or dogs. The reason I say no kids or dogs is because the tea will be very, very hot.

Let's get started!

1. Cut out the toule and underskirt which you can save and stain later. There just isn't room do do all of the dress. This will cut out some of the bulk.
2. Using a giant kettle and two larges pots, (or three pots) boil the tea bags to a slow boil then turn the heat off and let the tea set for about 20 minutes. I usually will add an entire box of tea bags to each pot or kettle.  Don't boil to hard, the tea bags will break!
3. Pour at least two cups salt into tub, then put a strainer in the plastic tub to catch the tea bags and carefully pour the tea into the plastic tub. Pour, strain, then throw out the tea bags. Do this for all three containers. You want enough liquid to cover the dress or at least be able to move the dress around in.
4. Wearing your gloves and using your tongs if you want pick up the dress flip it over and put the other side in the deepest part of the tea bath. Remember it will be HOT! The whole idea is to get the dress well covered, over and over. This part of the process is messy which is why I do it i the back yard. This usually takes about 30-40 mins. When you're agitating the dress yourself, the tea gets everywhere! When you're satisfied with the color, hang the dress wrong side out on a ladder, draping the dress over the length of the ladder. Yes it might get a little dirty but you will be washing it.

I wish I had hung this a little prettier with the flowers in the background!

This one was much more delicate, much older so it took the stain much darker.

5. Let the dress dry all the way, in case of bad weather, hang it in the garage with plastic underneath, because it will drip a lot.
6.The next day, pour several cups of white vinegar and water into the tub you used for the tea stain. Place the dress into this solution. Remember you want enough solution to be able to swish the dress around.This is going to set the tea stain. Remember when using a poly blend fabric, it may not hold the color as long or as dark.
7. Swish this around, rinsing the dress. Pour out the excess vinegar/water solution.
8. Now, lay the sheet flat on the grass or garage floor and place the dress in the middle. Using the large safety pins, pin the sheet around the dress, making a pouch of the sheet with the dress inside.
9 Place in washing machine using a mild soap and downey,or whatever you like to use) and use the gentle cycle. When finished, hang to dry. DO NOT put it in the dryer! Some of the sequins could melt!
10. Enjoy!

It's amazing that I lost so little beading.

It took most of the day for this to dry because it was so big. I had to keep repositioning it to dry all the way!

I can just imagine a beautiful bride wearing this, the sun is out, her bouquet is vintage in style, maybe,  a small nosegay of violets?

You're all finished! If you have any questions, please email me anytime! Just keep checking your thrift stores and goodwill online. Thanks for joining me for my first tutorial! How did I do?

Magnolia Pearl! A whole new box arrived!

I was drooling all over the website, I just couldn't wait to get my box!

I just got a box from Magnolia Pearl,

I put everything on and gave it a whirl.

I wanted it all, to show off to ya'll,

But I need to save pennies for the Round Top Ball!

To see more of MP's beautiful new spring line go to:

magnoliapearl.com

Myrna and Clyde

For the life of me I cannot think of an ending to this silly poem!! I need help! Any suggestions from blog land??


Myrna and Clyde were lovers for life, they never got married cause' Clyde had a wife.
So unlikely a pair, no one suspected, innocent parties were always protected.
Now Clyde liked the ladies, some tall, some small, some so mean you'd thought they had  ba**s.
So on the night when Clyde slipped and invited two ladies, Oh, he'd done it now, he was definetely in hades.
They started scrappin' and screamin' like cats in a fight, he tried stopping them both, but dropped dead of fright!
 At his funeral there were his ladies all shapes and sizes, like a carnival show without all the prizes!
They all bowed their heads and said a little prayer, and looking for the wife, but she was not there.
They said their goodbyes and on his tombstone it read,
"Here lies a man who was forever unfaithful in bed,
his penance was to have nary a hair on his head."


Thank you Paula of Tattered Gold! I knew you would help me. Check out Paula's beautiful blog and poetry at: tatteredgold.blogspot.com

Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year! I wish you all, the time and inspiration to be creative, fabulous flea market finds, yards and yards of vintage lace, tinsel stars, and anything else old and tarnished that your heart desires! Thank you for making 2010 a great first year for me in blogland!